Canelo Alvarez has moved on quickly from talks with Miguel Cotto, and is now reportedly focused on lining up James Kirkland for a May 2 fight. Lance Pugmire of The Los Angeles Times tweeted that talks were in advanced stages for a Cinco de Mayo weekend bout in San Antonio, Texas.
Hearing from well-placed officials that @caneloOficial-James Kirkland is in advanced if not final stages for May 2 in San Antonio on HBO.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) January 21, 2015
The fight is expected to take place on HBO, and Pugmire speculated that it would be moved to a different date if Floyd Mayweather Jr. agrees to face Manny Pacquiao out of respect for boxing fans who have clamored for that super fight for years.
If a fight of the generation is made, a non-pay-per-view gets shifted to another day on the calendar. — Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) January 21, 2015
And a move off May 2 is something @OscarDeLaHoya already said he would do with @caneloOficial if @FloydMayweather @MannyPacquiao gets made.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) January 21, 2015
Kirkland is a renowned action fighter with tremendous power whose career has been derailed by issues outside the ring as well as stretches of inactivity. Kirkland is in the midst of one such stretch currently; he hasn’t fought since December 2012, when he knocked out Glen Tapia in Atlantic City.
At 32-1-0 with 28 knockouts Kirkland is no walk in the park for Alvarez. After walking away from the negotiating table for a bout with a future Hall of Famer in Cotto, a strong opponent will be necessary to appease fans. It’ll be even more important if Mayweather doesn’t agree to terms with Pacquiao, and stages a pay-per-view on May 2 against Alvarez’s bout.
Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya has made it clear Alvarez will fight on May 2 against any card that isn’t Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
"There's several opponents, so it depends what opponent we choose, then we'll decide if it's pay-per-view or HBO," De La Hoya said after cutting off talks with Cotto’s team. "If Mayweather-Pacquiao happens then that's the only fight that out of respect for the fans, that we will move from [May 2]. But if Mayweather fights Cotto or Amir [Khan] then we're going."
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